Spec Dinosauria: Dinoceratopsia
Ceratopsians (today represented only by cenoceratopsians) are one of the more cryptic herbivore groups of Spec. Rather like the perrisodactyls of Home-Earth, Spec’s cenoceratopsians belong to an ancient and widespread group that has now been reduced to a few scattered remnant populations. Some cenoceratopsian species are well-known and significant members of their ecosystems, but others have so far eluded proper description. The so-called ramskulls or “durocephalids” of Spec’s Amazon are the most infamous examples of this gap in our knowledge. DATA Durocephalids represent at least two species of cryptic dinoceratopsians that dwell in the depths of the Amazon jungle. Very little is known of these creatures, with only a single decent specimen in a museum collection. The remainder of what we known of these creatures is gleaned from half-chewed skins and eyewitness reports. The frill-tuskers therefore cannot be reliably assigned to a classification more exact than "somewhere in Dinoceratopsia" although the name "Durocephalidae" is often used informally. The first durocephalid sighting took place during the preliminary South American forays of Brian Choo. He writes this brief passage concerning the beast in his journal: "Tuskfrill" sketch (Amazon) An exciting, newly discovered ceratopsian that lives along waterways in dense tropical forest. It is particularly common on the shores of the Pantanal where it uses its remarkable tusk-like frill extensions to root for aquatic plants. Although currently placed in the Dinoceratopsia, a new family may need to be erected to accommodate this as yet undescribed species. An indicator of what may still be left to discover in the poorly sampled Amazon jungle! Brian Choo Although the picture and description of the “tusk frill” were widely circulated, the species was largely ignored in the literature, listed as a poorly understood member of the South American cenocerotopsian group Dinoceratopsia, and then forgotten. The tusk-frill would probably have faded out of the public consciousness entirely if it were not for the discovery of a very similar creature soon after. The Brett Booth South America expedition returned with new till-cheek-like material in the form of a single water-damaged skin and parts of a skull collected from the nest of a jagular. The skull fragments consisted of parts of a hooked, parrot-like beak, a curved jugal horn (a characteristic of some dinoceratopsid species), and the lowslung frill split down the middle. The skin was damaged badly be water, rot, and the jagular, but it indicates an animal perhaps two meters long, with short limbs and a large belly. Most intriguing are a number spines, formed of elongated scutes, which were found attached to the skin near the tail and base of the neck. Close examination of the skin revealed holes where more of these spines had once grown, indicating a porcupine-like coat of quills that extended across the till-cheek's back. (Reconstruction of "till-cheeck", the animal recovered on the Booth Expedition (Amazon) Booth published a reconstruction based upon the skin and skull fragments, showing the armor of quills and the jugal horns, which earned this species its unofficial nick-name. Of course, connections were immediately drawn between the till-cheek and the tusk-frill. Both creatures possessed the medial division of the frill, and the tusks Choo interpreted as extensions of the frill could have very well been the pronounced jugal processes of the till-cheek. These jugal extensions are also very similar to those of the jugaloceratopsians, drawing some intriguing connections between the tiny till-cheek and the rhino-sized stormrider. However, since neither the till-cheek nor the tusk-frill is based upon a reliable type specimen, both must be considered dinoceratopsia incertae sedis. The only tusk-frill-like species known from any decent material at all was discovered only recently by noted Old-World specbiologist Matti Aumala. Subsequent to the initial discoveries by Choo and Booth, Aumala fielded another expedition to the Amazon, searching for better specimens. He succeeded in capturing a single male sub adult of a species, which he illustrated and briefly described. Ramskull, Durocephalus boothi ''(Central South America---Amazon) The heavily-built ramskull is the best known durocephalid from the rainforests of Amazon. This tapir-sized animal has strong jaws and jugal horns suitable for digging, coupled with a thick bony skull that may be used for butting contests between males. ''Matti Aumala Durocephalus boothi ''is the only formally described “durocephalid”, the type specimen having been stuffed and in good condition. However, the ramskull is obviously different from the description and sketch of the tusk-frill. The tusk-frill is based upon nothing at all, and the till-cheek is not much better, so while the ramskull and till-cheek are probably distinct, it is impossible to say anything definitive about the tusk-frill. Subsequent to the ramskull’s discovery, several other expeditions were mounted into the South American interior, but none of these excursions managed to gain new information. A fossil recently recovered from Florida’s Pliocene deposits may shed some light on the ramskull and its kin, but the fossil is still awaiting detailed examination. Skull of ''Projugalceratops problematicus ''(Pleistocene) (Florida) The 2.5 million year-old ''Projugalceratops problematicus ''was originally described by Drhoz, but the Australian specbiologist did little other than sketch the cranium and propose possible dinoceratopsian affinities based upon the enlarged jugal processes. At first glance, a ''Projugaloceratops ''seems very much like the ramskull, but the overall shape of the skull is suggestive of a much more primitive group. The skull (which is the only part of the skeleton illustrated) bears a striking resemblance to Cretaceous Asian genus ''Protoceratops, ''and seems rather unlike any South American ceratopsian. Further studies are necessary to determine the exact affinities of this fossil, and for that matter the living species it resembles. The most recent "durocephalid" find, again tantalizing but frustratingly inadequate for real anatomical description, is the 'cryptid ceratopsid' described in passing by Matti Aumala. 'cryptid ceratopsid' (Florida?) We all know that dinoceratopsians are supposed to have gone extinct in the North America. It seems, however, that somebody forgot to tell that to one cryptic ceratopid, said to live in Florida and the surrounding areas of Southeastern NA. So far, there is only one photograph to prove its existence, and many are still skeptical, claiming that the photograph in question was forged, or that the animal it portrays is from South or Central America instead. Whatever the case, the animal in the photograph is previously unknown to specbiologists. It is clearly a dinoceratopsian, looking somewhat like a crossbreed of a dinoceratops and stormrider, but unfortunately until we find out where this species lives and catch a specimen for study, it will have to remain yet another question mark in the dinoceratopid family tree. ''Matti Aumala Some have hailed the cryptid ceratopsid as a link between dinoceratopsidae and jugalceratopsidae, and further place it, along with the ramskull, into the family Durocephalidae. It is even possible that the cryptid ceratopsid is related to (or the same as?) the skull Projugalceratops. ''Whatever the case, however, a single photograph cannot be the basis for classification, and the cryptid ceratopsid is "yet another question mark". CONCLUSIONS: In his recent monograph on Cenoceratopsia, Brian Choo classified these enigmatic ceratopsians based upon examinations of the till-cheek and ramskull specimens: "Durocephalids" have well-developed jugal horns and a divided parietal which forms a medial split that extends at least halfway down the frill. The frill does not possess epoccipital bones but may sport enlarged scales on the edge. They also have a covering of thorny scutes, which in the tillcheek have evolved into porcupine-like quills. Contrary to some popular reconstructions, the sacral region is probably curved as in dinoceratopsids rather than straight as in jugaloceratopsids. ''Brian Choo This description is adequate---and future species found can be labeled "durocephalid" with fair accuracy, but the relationships of and between these creatures remain murky. Are there, in fact, three species of durocephalid, or two, or only one? Do the durocephalids and jugalceratopsids share a common ancestor? Is Projugalceratops (or the cryptid ceratopsid) that ancestor, or from some other branch of the ceratopsian tree, entirely? Only time, study, and more specimens will tell. Category:Spec Dinosauria Category:Dinosaurs Category:Animals Category:North America Category:Alternative timelines